Supplies--community or individual??

Supplies--community or individual??

Let's talk classroom supplies!!  Does your classroom have community supplies? 

 Or does each student have their own set of supplies?

Currently we have individual supply containers.  We call ours work cups.  

They came from the Dollar Spot at Target and are metal tins in bright primary colors!  

Each child has their own "work cup" that has their number on it.  Inside the cup they keep 

two pencils, one glue stick, their scissors, and their crayons.  

I've always done individual supplies.  

A few years ago my students kept their supplies in plastic cups from WalMart.  

I've also had my students keep their supplies in plastic baskets.

  

Here's what I like about having individual supplies:
I like the idea of that each child has to be responsible for their own things.
I like the idea of them having to keep up with their own crayons, pencils, glue stick, etc. 

But here's what I don't like:
I really don't like listening to arguing.  It seems like every few minutes someone has accidentally picked up someone else's pencil.  SHE'S GOT MY PENCILLLLLLLLL.  THAT'S MIIIIIIINE.   Or it's a crayon.  SHE HAS MY RED CRAYON!!!  THAT'S MIIIIIIINE.

I know it's important for them to be responsible for their things.  That's one of our main classroom rules...."Be Responsible."  But I also want them to be able to work together and share and get along and not argue.   So I go back and forth on this issue.  Sometimes I think that maybe community supplies would be a better way to go.  But then I think about the flu....and think about how fast it would probably spread through community supplies....and I think um.....NO.  Ha ha!

I know there are pros and cons to doing community and individual supplies.  It could also depend on the class.....and how the students get along with one another.  I would love to know how you handle supplies in your classroom and if you've found a way to stop losing the little tops to glue sticks.   (because that is another big problem LOL)